Two new surveys from the Centers for Disease Control suggest some progress in improving the way Americans eat, but experts are not ready to celebrate yet.

“If you were in the like the 20-39-year-old age group, you were more likely to consume fast food.”

John Sirard is a professor at the University of Virginia, specializing in exercise and its impact on the body. He says African-Americans also tended to consume more fast food than white or Hispanic adults. Looking at children, the CDC found overall consumption of calories down, but childhood obesity was up three percent.

Virginia’s newest U-S senator, Tim Kaine, delivered his maiden speech on the Senate floor this week. His first address to his colleagues came much earlier than expected.

The Senate floor is viewed by many as a sacred space. That’s why most freshmen lawmakers wait months before addressing their peers in the austere chamber. But with billions of dollars in budget cuts slated to rip through his state on Friday, Senator Kaine broke unwritten Senate protocol and spoke on the floor before even finishing his second month in office.

It’s not often that a panel discussion at the University of Virginia leads to tears, but many of those in the audience wept as two experts talked about coping with the end of a pet’s life. A professor in UVA’s school of nursing and a specialist in end-of-life care, Susan Bauer-Wu has often lectured on death – but this experience was particularly painful for her and her audience.

A bill that is now under review by Governor McDonnell strengthens current state laws on stalking —although its sponsor says the law still needs to be even tougher. Delegate Jennifer McClellan hopes her bill will encourage law enforcement to take reports of stalking and domestic abuse more seriously.It would become a felony if someone convicted twice of stalking had also been convicted of committing violent acts against the same victim within five years. It would also apply if the aggressor had violated a protective order within that period.

Climate change is forcing some Virginians to consider a move. Coastal areas and islands like Tangiers are losing land as the sea rises, flooding is more frequent, and hurricanes could be more dangerous than ever. But for one Virginia couple, natural disasters are no deterrent. They’ve chosen to live in one of the riskiest places on Earth, on Hawaii's big island, about 3 miles from Pu’u’o’o - a volcanic crater that’s been oozing lava for the last 30 years.

The passage of Virginia’s transportation-funding bill was not the only change of heart that took place in the General Assembly this session. Another was tackling a growing traffic-safety hazard that did not even exist a generation ago—and making it a primary offense. It not only toughens current state penalties against texting while driving, but it targets similar communications.

President Obama was in Newport News, Virginia today highlighting the impact of pending budget cuts on the state's defense industry. Virginia Republicans are glad the president is highlighting the state's robust defense industry. But Virginia Congressman Randy Forbes says the president's time would have been better spent in Washington negotiating with congressional leaders.

The number of foreign students on college campuses in the U.S. is growing. But many say they have difficulty making American friends. It’s a social issue that has implications for the classroom as well. Robbie Harris prepared this report.

Dyanis Popova and Kris Tilley Lubbs are offering a workshop Friday, March 1 called,"Peeling the Onion: Diversity and Inclusion for All Students in All Classrooms." It runs from 8 am to 12 noon at the Torgersen Museum on the Virginia Tech Campus.

After being eclipsed by other issues for a couple of years climate change is now back in the spotlight on Capitol Hill.

Republicans control the U-S House and many oppose taking action to address climate change. In his State of the Union address President Obama opened the door for lawmakers to work with him on the issue but he also laid a line in the sand.